Hoboken officials have announced new arts initiatives and events for 2012, including the Arts and Music Festival, which draws up to 50,000 thousand guests each year. This year’s festival will take place Sunday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine. The free event will feature over 300 artists, sculptors, and photographers. Rides, games, face painters, and local businesses will line Washington Street between Observer Highway and 7th Street.

Sponsors of the event, according to Director of Cultural Affairs Geri Fallo, are The Hudson Reporter, United Water, NJ Division of Travel & Tourism, KTU, and Yelp.

Fallo also said that local businesses such as PATH, Capital One Bank, Walgreens, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Anthony David’s have offered donations.

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This year’s Arts and Music Festival will take place Sunday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine

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Visitors to the event will have the opportunity to purchase pottery, metalwork, wood items, furniture, candles, jewelry, soaps and lotion, and much more. Vendors will provide international foods such as Indian, Greek, Thai, French, Mexican, Cajun, and Italian.

A children’s area on 3rd street will have rides, games, creative activities, face painting, puppet shows, clowns, balloons, and more.

Although first conceived by former Mayor David Roberts, the event has been organized by Fallo for the past 18 years. The festival has seen a large growth in popularity over the years.

“The Festival offers a reflection of the creative climate,” said Fallo. “Due to a resurgence of the arts in Hoboken, more fine artists, arts groups, and galleries are participating in the event.”

Up and comers

The music festival will feature a plethora of local musicians and bands. Three stages of live music will be set up at the Observer Highway, Third Street, and Sixth Street intersections.

“This is the first time we’re playing the Hoboken Arts and Music Fest,” said Jeff Marino, a guitarist of the group “One & Nines.”

“We’re very pumped for it,” continued Marino.”It’s very important to us [to be] a part of the local city events. We’ll play wherever and whenever in support of the arts in our community.”

The event will also feature performances by The dB’s, the Front Bottoms, The Demolition String Band (see our story on page 5), Outside the Box, Little Club Heads, and more.

Other initiatives

City officials also announced several other arts initiatives, including music festivals, art exhibits, and more.

“Our rich art culture and music scene are part of what makes Hoboken a great place to live and visit,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer .

“We’re seeing a resurgence of the arts,” continued Zimmer, who added that the Monroe Arts Center, which is now under new ownership, has attracted a plethora of artists that have in turn helped expand the arts presence in Hoboken.

Fallo said that the Monroe Center is also showcasing 29 of its resident artists and creative businesses in the festival.

Officials also recently announced plans for a “Sounds of Hoboken” event, a city-wide live music festival slated for Sunday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

According to a city spokesperson, dozens of parks, sidewalks, restaurants, public spaces, and other venues will become impromptu stages for free “unplugged’ performances by local musicians.

To sign up as a host or performer for the event, visit the Hoboken city website at hobokennj.org.

One of the initiatives officials announced is a monthly gallery walk every third Sunday.

Ten art galleries throughout the city will feature new exhibits by local, regional, and international artists. The walks are currently ongoing.

Officials also announced a public art initiative in Hoboken. Artists from cooperative gallery hob’art will be painting utility boxes along Washington Street. The city will also display art on the fences surrounding the Toll Brothers construction project on Hudson Street between 11th and 12th streets.

Lastly, City Hall will feature work from students of the Hoboken Charter School, as well as paintings from artist Bill Curran. The exhibits will be on display through April and May.

The Hoboken "Arts and Music festival" is a fun day. Gerri Fallo does a great job bringing strong musical acts to town as well as promoting local musicians. The "Art" side is a little more sketchy (no pun intended). I would venture that 98% or more of the "Artists" are from out of town. Just ask the artists where they are from. It's true that there are scores of top quality artists in Hoboken but you won't see many of them at the Arts and Music festival. There are many reasons for this, among them that showing your work on a snow fence next to a a boiling vat of curly fry oil is not a worthy venue for serious art. So what you get is the usual schmaltzy "art" that appeals to the base taste of the bargain hunter,as out of town "artists" trade in on the "Arty" reputation of Hoboken, built by the local artists that you will not see on Sunday.

For years my artist and musician friends have jokingly referred to the "Arts and Music Festival" as the "Tube sock Festival" Hey, the music is great, and we all need tube socks. Enjoy, but save your Art buying money for the Hoboken studio tour in October. You'll be glad you did, the Art is way better, and you will be supporting the Arts, and Artists, IN HOBOKEN.